The prompt for this sudden, unexpected show of affection is a post on my boyfriend Andrew Sullivan's blog. It sums up exactly how I, and I would guess most bloggers, feel:

"Alone in front of a computer, at any moment, are two people: a blogger and a reader. The proximity is palpable, the moment human -- whatever authority a blogger has is derived not from the institution he works for but from the humanness he conveys. This is writing with emotion not just under but always breaking through the surface. It renders a writer and a reader not just connected but linked in a visceral, personal way. The only term that really describes this is friendship. And it is a relatively new thing to write for thousands and thousands of friends."

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/andrew-sullivan-why-i-blog

I started this blog on a whim. I expected no one to read it, really. I used it as a coping technique and to encourage good writing habits while finishing my first book. (not yet published but oh well) And it is been with ridiculous pride and excitement that I've made blogger friends and have watched the readership stats increase. It does make it more enjoyable for me, knowing that someone will take away something from these random words that I piece together into sentences.

So, thank you blogger friends. I hope that I've given you as much as you have given me.